Harsonia (City)
The defining city of the region, and considered by many to be the capital of central Zimildran, Harsonia is a melting pot of the four cultures of Zimildran, all living, buying, trading, crafting and working under the banner of the Covenant of Harsonia. The city owes its splendor, grandeur and popularity to its central location in the world of men. Nearly equal distance between the city of Modenheim in the north and Jinshu-Kong in the south, Harsonia sees many visitors from Kotokai, the Snow Marches, and Ukinda. Its vast, open air market is the shopping destination for anyone with money to spare, and the finer craftsmen of the area set up permanent shops within Harsonia’s Trade Quarter. While the headquarters of the House of Merchants is located in Harsonia, their hold over the city’s commerce isn’t as tight as in areas such as Canyon City. With the Covenant Palace in the same city, the governing body of the realm keeps the city’s Merchants in check, being less lenient in the laws which they approve from the House. One of the great landmarks of the city is Ashwhym Court, the great, round plaza in the center of the city. Named after Lord Nikolai Ashwhym who built it, the court is the central plaza for the Covenant Palace and the Merchants’ Halls, two of the most powerful organizations in Harsonia. The center of the plaza once had a great statue of Lord Ashwhym, yet after the Barbarian Wars and the surrender of the seven guilds the statue was removed, replaced with a great fountain surrounded by greenery and stone benches. The statue now sits in the private collection of Kerrineth Positel, an eccentric engineer and collector of fine arts, and one of the wealthiest individuals in Harsonia. Just down the street from Ashwhym Court stands the Academy of Engineers, a grand campus with a bronze dome that sparkles in the sunlight. The Forward Hall of the Academy is open to all visitors who wish to view the display of great works of past engineers, all who studied at, or helped found, the Academy. The inner halls, courtyards and dormitories are for current academics, where the estate’s resources are governed by the masters and professors, and where aspiring craftsman who hold membership with the Academy can acquire limited tools, components, or even learn some well-guarded secrets of steamwork. Founded by House Silvermaine as a way to maintain the presence of their guild when the Covenant was formed, the Academy’s Headmaster is Lord Edwin Silvermaine, an old, yet ambitious, engineer and diplomat. It was by his urging that the Academy set up workshops in Riverton, and buy and operate from a large structure within Canyon City. Thanks to Lord Silvermaine, academic engineers can find decent work in any of Harsonia’s major cities, as long as they don’t mind giving up a sizeable cut of the profits to the Academy. The Covenant of Harsonia is headquartered in the great city, and it is within the Covenant Palace that the seven Knight Commanders and their immediate families and servants dwell. The Palace is a grand, three-storied structure, built almost like a great cathedral. From its wide, deep steps, it is only a short walk to the great amphitheater, where the Covenant holds its Council of Voices to show its attempts at democracy. While it does not occupy a large area, the Church of the Maker is an old and notable building in the center of the southwestern portion of the city. It is a simple sanctuary with a few offices and a basement for storage, much more modest than the Merchants’ Halls or the Covenant Palace. Its size and location are a subtle reminder of the impact of religion and spirituality in Harsonian culture, and how other than a “by the Maker”, or a simple whispered prayer, many Harsonians do not seem to be religious at all. Still, the church stands tall amongst the other buildings, and it is cared for by Father Warren, Brother Michael and Sister Catherine. Between the three of them, they host a day of services once a week, as well as attending all official city gatherings, councils, and events that they are aware of. Their role in such events is simple, merely more a sign of presence than anything else, even if, at one time, the members of the church were among the prime officiators of such things.